August 16, 2010

Tales from the Scale: Slow, Steady, Sporty and Skirty

At the end of 7 months of Eating Less and Moving More, we find ourselves here:

JOURNALING READS: Seven months in and all is copacetic. This month finds me down 3 pounds from last, and it would make sense that things are slowing down just a bit. I’m moving 6 days a week (4 runs of varying length and two days of either biking or swimming) and I’m finding myself hungrier than I’ve been in a while. I’ve been blowing through those extra weekly points every week. I really feel my body needs them right now. I’m trying to be a better listener.

Speaking of better listening, I know I have to be careful with not over-doing the running. I’ve got some heel pain I’m trying to address right now. I can’t deny my fear of injury resulting in the inability to run at all. Yes, I DO have other options in swimming and biking, but there’s something about the run that is just a bit more lucrative from an overall fitness bang-for-your-buck standpoint.

I decided to join a running group, which feels pretty big to me, considering my tendency to do things on my own. I’ve gone to 4 of their weekend runs and each time I’ve almost talked myself out of it. But each time I go, I am rewarded with a run I would have never taken on my own. My overall mind set right now, while still wanting to eat well and continue to move toward my goal weight of 135, really has shifted into thinking like an athlete. If you would have told me that back in January, that I’m dreaming of running a half marathon some day, I would have belly laughed at you. And Lord knows, I had the belly size to REALLY laugh.

Not a huge difference from last month, if you recall. Still, three more pounds? I'll take it. As one kind blog reader pointed out, "Go grab a pound of butter and look at it. Now you feel better about a pound, don't you?" Indeed, I do.

Since January, I've lost 36.9 pounds. That's a whole toddler. Or two chubby babies. Or one smallish-sized Golden Doodle. Or 36.9 pounds of shredded cheese.

Any way you look at it, it's an accomplishment.

I need to remind myself of this on those months where the numbers don't reflect much in the way of change. I need to remind myself of the complete transformation I've had and continue to have in my journey from Dieting Person to Wanna Be Athlete.

Do I have a weight goal in mind? Yes. 135 to be precise. I think that's a nice number for a 5'6 woman in her mid-40s. If I reach that number, will there be a part of me that wonders how it might look and feel to re-visit the land of the 120s? Of course there will. I may be making strides in my fitness life, but I still have some body image issues lodged pretty far down in the old limbic system.

But for now, I'm not focusing on that. Instead, I'm focusing on what I am learning to be the only thing that really has to happen to maintain a healthy lifestyle at a weight I feel good at: Eat Less and Move More.

I think people want a secret pill, or a magical combination of nutrients, or a machine that does the work for you. I say that, because I am those kind of people. Or at least I was. I was the kind of person that didn't want to do the work. I just wanted the results. I was the kind of person who came up with a whole bevy of can'ts whenever I tried to figure out my issues with food and chub.

The one thing running has taught me this year is to stop being such a whiner. Stop selling myself short on what is possible for my life. Stop dismissing things before you at least give 'em a fair shot.

I don't think I have all the answers here and I'm not saying that indulging the occasional pity party isn't part of this process. But what I have discovered is that you don't have to hit rock bottom and wade around in a mucky pool of self-loathing to really start making changes in your life.

I simply believe this: Eat Less. Move More.

Make and renew the choice every single day.

Some days will be goo gobs better than others.

And then pray to God that injuries don't send you into a downward spiral of Kelloggs Frosted Corn Flakes and salt 'n vinegar potato chips.

Amen.

Want to join in? Or document your journey? Or whine along?Or celebrate successes? Both the template above and this one are available at Designer Digitals for those who want to track their progress along with me.

135 Comments

You look amazing Cathy, the difference is so noticeable and I know you feel much better and heathier! I am rejoining WW this Wed at my local meeting and am joining the gym to swim (it's about the only exercise I enjoy). I want to lose weight but more importantly I want to be in better shape and health. I'm going to get those templates so I can document my journey like you have as it's great to see all the visual changes and read the journaling!

Thank you so much Cathy for sharing your journey. I especially appreciate your honesty when you share your fears re injury and backsliding. I have worked hard this summer myself at establishing a regular exercise routine and I also began Weight Watchers 4 weeks ago. I've lost 8 pounds so far; although I have a long way to go, I am already seeing signs of increased health. It truly does make a difference for me to hear your story.

Love this monthly update, and you have a wise philosophy. I read one of John Bingham's books (The Courage to Start, which was the only one of his in the bookstore that day). Very enjoyable and I'm running regularly now! Having some joint issues which are tempering my distance, but trying to be patient.

What do you clean your bathroom mirror with? It always looks so great in your photos! [Mine is spotty!] Congrats on the journey [YOU look great too!]- I've finally made the move [lol] to join WW and hope to begin my on road to health this week! [But I've gotta get THAT mirror clean so I can take my before photo! LOL THANKS for the inspiration!!!

I have been on the WW journey since January because of your inspiration/motivation. I made goal recently (27 gone baby!) but I need to get back to the gym. Need to tone and lose another 10 or so. Can't wait until school starts back next month. I know I need to move more.

Anyhoo, I look forward to the monthly updates. I enjoy following you on your journey and get a little push for myself to keep it going ... instead of reaching for the nearest cupcake.

You look so great! Keep up the good work. I did WW a few years back to get me started on my healthy journey. I'm now a fan of Clean Eating and Oxygen magazine. Now that I'm at my goal, I want to add muscle and definition to my body. It's nice to see the average person doing great, you are an inspiration!

And the crowd goes wild with excitement....the cheering....the yelling...I can hardly type. Another month of staying on track deserves a huge round of applause. Your picture is great. Last week on Oprah they had all of these people come out with these HUGE weight loss success stories. It is great. I am still staying committed. My big life change last month (that I wrote about in the discovery post below) has changed everything for me. But I am looking for the silver lining. The weight loss is s l o w but I am still walking and my daughter and I have actually gone to zumba classes. That fear of injury is very real. My back injury and surgery is was slowed my exercize momentum 16 years ago and I do not want that to happen again. 135 is a magical number. Always good when you can weigh less than your age. - One question, have you changed out your Nike sensor yet? I am still waiting for something to happen with mine and it has been in my shoe for more than 1000 hours.

I absolutely LOVE these posts. You inspired me to get OUT and run --- rather than stay in, in my nice cool basement on my treadmill that could incline if I wanted it to or stay flat if I wanted it to. I am currently training for my first half marathon... and after my 8 mile long run (my longest distance ever) this weekend I am actually feeling like I CAN do this. Thank you so much for your inspiration. I think you are awesome! =)

Jenny, i really do look at the after shot, and think, I hope im not just holding on to that by the skin of my teeth because thats happened before for me. But never with the level of activity im doing now. Again, its one day at a time. Renewing the commitment every day. Good luck!

8 milers. Wow. The farthest Ive gone is 6.3. Im actually following a very loose 1/2 training plan to see if i can make the mileage on a plan of that kind. I have an 8 miler slated for Sept. 25. ha! Ill have to see what shakes out!

you look amazing, cathy! i'm trying to follow you, eating less and moving more. the eating part is so much harder for me... i guess i'll put your before&after shots near my fridge to help me remember that the sacrifice is worth it.
=^ . ^=

it really IS day to day. I mean, last Friday, I at 9 points worth of Kelloggs Frosted Flakes. I have no idea why. I just gorged on them. And then I sort of freaked out, like... WOW, i used to snack on these ALL the day. Saturday was a new day. Every day is a new day.

I could have written this post. I feel the exact same way. I have been running since June. I am finally up to 4 miles. I feel great! It is something about running that does something to your soul. Days you feel like talking yourself out of it, but feel great when you finish. You are looking great. Keep up the good work. Keep on running!!!!

Congrats Cathy! Lookin' good girl! Keep up the good work! (When you post the side-by-side comparison, THAT has got to make you feel SO AWESOME to see that kind of results from all of your hard work and dedication.)

My word, Cathy! You look AMAZING! And 36.9 pounds? That's like me when I was SIX years old! LOL. Yeah, I was a tiny thing. :-p

Gosh, you're so inspiring! And if I weren't in my first trimester of my first pregnancy, and if it weren't 100 degrees outside, I'd go running right this second! Alas, I may just have to settle for the stair-stepper or treadmill at the gym. :-p I do love the heat, but I can't wait till it dissipates, so that I can get back to running *outside*!!! :-D Thanks so much for the motivation and inspiration. You are too cool for words!

So inspiring, you are. And you are looking extra foxy. I'm reading "Run Like A Mother" and just doing it. The alarm went off this morning and I thought, "I don't want to," and then I reminded myself that I didn't have to want to do it, I just had to do it. Until, of course, I hit the ground running every single morning with a smile on my face, just like Cathy.

Congratulations Cathy! And three pounds is three pounds! Don't forget that even though your pound loss in fat might be slowing down, some of that is turning into muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. Does that make any sense?! Anyway, keep at it - you look great!

Yay Cathy - so great to hear how your brain is working during this process. After an ankle sprain last Saturday, I was so bummed to stop my exercise routine. I took 2 days off, icing it, elevating it, ibuprofen on and off, then on the 3rd day started back in on my work out program, babying the ankle, but committing to moving still. I was amazed how much I was still able to do, and it seems to be recovering much quicker than I ever expected. It really is terrific to be bit by the exercise bug - something I avoided my whole life, except for the occasional bite that quickly disappeared!! I'm now wanting to move, craving healthy foods, really embracing this change - creating a habit I hope to continue forever! Thanks for your constant motivation!!

You look amazing Cathy! The most important thing that finally losing weight and getting healthy has taught me is that I am strong enough to do ANYTHING! Climb mount Everest? Sure. Run for office? You bet! Of course, I don't want to do these things but I sure could. How about face the illness of my child? Hell yeah. I taught myself to run and lost over 80 Lbs. Nothing can stop me. Or you!

Cathy, you are amazing. I am really hoping now that my move is complete and I know what's messing up my thyroid I can attempt to live a healthier life. No more whining. You are so right. I posted this on FB, but are you still counting points and doing WW online? How important was that to you in the grand scheme of things?

Cathy, every time you post one of these pages, I am struck by what a HUGE accomplishment this is. Wow!

I love your bit about every day being a new day. That is truly the key to success right there... to forgive yourself for getting off track and to make the commitment to get back on track again. Every single day, we get to make that choice.

Oh, one other thing. I giggled at your reply to one of the commenters. The part about Dan just smiling and nodding when you go on about running. My husband does that a lot too. Every time I find a new obsession, he listens to me go on and on and on about it. Scrapbooking. Tennis. He's such a patient man. :)

Courtney, yes, I am still counting points. It is HUGE to me. I need to keep track of portions and calories. Plain and simple. I track every single day. For weight loss, for me, both things have to happen. Count points, earn activity. (Eat less, move more!)
: )

I have always been afraid of using Activity Points. Even when I know I've earned them, I feel like I shouldn't use them. I spent all of last summer in an intense cardio/strength training class and lost zero pounds. I found out later this was bc of my thyroid. Getting my motivation back has been really, really hard. :( You inspire me.

Do you feel using the WW online tools are important or could you track on your own?

I feel like the tools keep me accountable, in that I pay $17.95 a month to use them, you know?

I have been using my extra points for the last month, every week, and then dipping into activity just a bit. Ive been earning up to 35 activity points as well. When you run for an hour, or swim that long, it adds up.

But i feel like i have also been a lot HUNGRIER this month. Not sure if its the exercise. The hormones, or what.

I mean, on friday, I gorged myself on Frosted Flakes. I couldnt resist. Sigh.

Really amazing Cathy. You look awesome. And 135 sounds like a reasonable great goal. Go get 'em!

And I am so impressed about the running. Because I can't ever imagine how anyone can get over the bordom of running that makes it actually interesting to do. I just can't imagine it. (I can't meditate either. Tried several differnt methods and I just get bored and start thinking 'bout stuff that interferes with the whole purpose.)

But I do think about how nice it is to run without feeling like I am going to fall over and stop breathing. Took about 6 weeks in a class where we run for warmups. But all during the running I am thinking, "How many laps... I count on my fingers. I need to know I exactly when I can stop running."

Bravo! I, too, have been inspired by you over the past months. I decided that turning 40 was not going to get me down and that it was time to kick up the exercise regime in order to maintain strong bones and muscles. By doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, I have lost 8lbs in a month and a half, but more importantly have gained muscle and core strength and flexibility. It is always encouraging to come to your blog and hear you talk so positively. Thank you!

Listening to your journey has been wonderful. I'm so glad you found your inner athlete! I'm trying to coax mine back from the land of injury - hopefully with a few appointments to an orthopedist and then a physical therapist, I can get my hip back in working condition. Hearing your confidence and positive attitude is definitely a pick-me-up, so thanks :)

I have a friend who works out on an elliptical machine and works off around 30 minutes a time and burns something like 600 calories. I would guess that doesn't carry the impact of running in case you need another high calorie burning, low impact choice.

you look AMAZING and so GREAT!!! Thank you so much for sharing this journey with us and inspiring so many of us to get up MOVE MOVE!! YOu have come so far and should be so proud of yourself. I love how you flexed your arm and can see how well toned your arms are too. Way to go Cathy!!

Dont worry.You have other goals to work on and I dont want to take away from those.Ill be here when youre ready (and when its too cold to train outdoors and/or when youre ready for something different - I tend to focus more on strength training in the winter myself; and I likewise dont give it as much attention as I should in the summer when Id prefer to be out riding my bike on the trail).

I worry about your foot and plantar faciitis since that usually means lots of time off doing non-weight bearing activities. Is it getting better and have you gotten it looked at recently? Foot/arch strengthening exercises might be something good to add into your routine. We can talk about that too. Though thats probably a sooner rather than later thing as it directly relates to running.

Cathy, I love seeing your updates on the weight loss & fitness theme. I joined WW 16 months ago, and reached goal 8 months ago. Now I am doing my best to stay at goal or even whittle it down a bit more... I started running again after nearly 30 years, and am loving almost every minute of it. Having perused many blogs and web sites for the middle-aged woman trying to get fit and lose weight, I found you through RLAM. I read Courage to Start while on a camping trip and couldn't wait to get home and go for a good run. You inspire me to keep at it - and I am also aiming to start up some strength and flexibility training as soon as my 8th grader gets back into school.
I really wish I could meet some of these wonderful women in person and run with them!

Cathy, you are definitely an inspiration to me. I started my weight loss journey in January and have lost 52 pounds. I don't plan on doing this again! I still have 48 pounds left to make my goal, but I really believe that I can do it! I wish I had done a journal like yours to remind me of all that I have accomplished so far. You Rock, Girl!

What the heck? First it's jogging on the treadmill, then running outside, then biking, then swimming, a 5K, now a running group and possibly a half-marathon. Geez, the next thing I know, you're going to blog about how you went camping over the weekend! :) Seriously, my husband keeps asking me what in the world you write in your blogs that would inspire my 42-year-old butt to suddenly decide that it could start running for the first time in my life. Just 3 months in, and I'm up to 5.25 miles! Thanks so much for always keeping it real!

I still dont have ANY desire to sleep in nature. But hell, Ill run around in it. ; )

If youre up to 5.25 miles in three months, you are rocking it. Just be careful out there... take it from me, who is nursing a bit of plantar fasciitis on one heel here... I overdid it a bit at first. Im being a bit cooler now. Still. Thats what the cross training is for! : )

love the before and current photographs each month. makes me realize that it doesn't happen in two weeks! :) that seems to be my threshold. also- i forgot that i was going to have salt/vinegar chips for a snack tonight until i read this!! now it is too late to indulge (as i'm about to hop into bed!) and i got back from a run an hour ago.